1838J 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



425 



SILK CULTUnK AND MULBKBRY SPECULA- 

 TIOIV. 



The editorial article on this subject which appears 

 in this number, (page 3S9) was in type (except the 

 closing postscript,) before the reception of the com- 

 munication of Thomas Hicks, esq., which was pub- 

 lished in the preceding number (page 378) ; and the 

 first-named article was expected to have been present- 

 ed, in the proper order of time, before the latter. Our 

 absence caused the omission — and the consequent 

 awkwardness of appearance of our notes to Mr. Hicks' 

 letter, which were written to follow, though in fact 

 they prece^led the publication of the older article. 



It has happened upon several occasions, in this 

 work, that a communication exhibiting errors and mis- 

 takes of the writer, has served to bring forth correct 

 and fuH information on the subject, from others better 

 informed. We hope, and have now reason to expect, 

 that such will be the fruit of our remarks on what 

 may be termed (in more than one sense) the mystery 

 of silk-culture in this country. We have been seek- 

 ing, by other means, as well as by the publication of 

 the article referred to, (and its still earlier communi- 

 cation in the proof sheet,) to obtain information on this 

 interesting subject; and we are promised, and hope to 

 receive, in part, before the appearance of this number, 

 from two very intelligent and well-informed corres- 

 pondents, interesting and valuable information on dif- 

 ferent branches of this subject. 



In the time which has elapsed since the printing of 

 the article referred to, we have heard of circumstances 

 which, if of earlier occurrence, would have varied the 

 details, and some of the inferences, though they serve 

 to confirm the correctness of the general views there 

 presented. The demand for plants of the Chinese 

 mulberry has indeed so greatly increased at the north, 

 that every plant and cutting now in Virginia, may be 

 sold this year to northern purchasers at the highest 

 prices. To our previous views and recommendations, 

 therefore, w^e would add the advice to all who have 

 plants to spare, not to sell any to speculators lower 

 than at the highest prices; to raise as many plants as 

 possible in 1839, from the stock retained, and to be 

 prepared then to supply the whole country, at greatly 

 reduced prices, and yet at greater profits than the high- 

 est prices at present would give. Every single bud 

 planted next spring, and well taken care of, will pro- 

 duce from 10 to 70 buds— say not less than 30 on an 

 average; and therefore at a half-cent, or even a quar- 

 ter-cent the bud, the stock of 1839 will yield a much 

 greater sum than the present growing stock at 2 cents 

 the bud, or 25 or 30 cents the rooted plant. But whe- 

 ther the sales are made this year at the present high 

 price, or next year at much lower, it is gratifying that 

 the course of trade is so completel}' turned, and that 

 Borthern purchasers are now commg to the south for 

 supplies, and that this year more money will thus be 

 paid to Virginia, than all that the northern nursery- 

 men have before got from us for their immature and 

 defective plants, with which this state was stocked. 



It is not merely the rage of speculation, stimulated 

 Vol. VL— 54 



by legislative bounties, that has caused this great de- 

 mand at the north. There is a real and great scarcity 

 of moms mullicavlis, caused by the immense loss of 

 cuttings by the wet and cold weather of last winter 

 and early spring, and the drought of summer. 



The following communication to the Petersburg In- 

 telligencer shows that our late correspondent, Mr. 

 Hicks, of Brunswick, has already been well paid (and 

 it was by northern purchases,) for his enterprise. 

 Agents of sundry large dealers and speculators have 

 already gone through lower Virginia, and have en- 

 gaged (and, we fear, generally at half the price they 

 were willing to pay,) all the plants of the moms mul- 

 ticaulis they could find for sale. 



Lawrenceville, Aug. 28tk, 1833. 



"I think the public ought to know that Mr. Tho- 

 mas Hicks, of this county, the year before last, and 

 last year, laid out $.245 in Chinese mulberry trees; 

 and this fall will have for sale 30,000 trees. Two 

 days ago he sold 20,000 to some gentlemen in Penn- 

 sylvania, at 25 cents a tree — the residue he reserves to 

 sell in this vicinity; having realized the handsome sum 

 of ,'j<>7,500, fiom so inconsiderable an outlay, in so short 

 a time. Mr. Hicks expects to have, by fall twelve 

 months, 150,000 trees more for sale, and in all proba- 

 bility will get nearly or quite as much per tree. He 

 has also commenced, the past season, making silk, and 

 has succeeded beyond his expectations, demonstrating 

 that our country is congenial to the production of that 

 beautiful and valuable article. Mr. H. deserves the 

 thanks, and has the congratulations, of the community, 

 for his enterprise and success in introducing a new 

 source of revenue and profit to the country." 



Having written to Mr. Hicks to know whether this 

 statement was entirely correct, he has stated in reply 

 that the writer had made some mistakes, which he cor- 

 rects, as follows: — "The outlay for my plants was $345 

 instead of $245; and the time allotted me to raise the 

 trees is one year more than I have been employed. I 

 never saw a Chinese mulberry tree until last year, 

 (summer of 1837.) I think it probable I may be able 

 to plant 200,000 cuttings next spring, instead of 150, • 

 000. The balance of the letter is all correct." — "If I 

 had not sold the 20,000 trees, they would now bring 

 me $1000 more than I am to receive." — This letter is 

 dated September 8th, which was 12 days only after 

 the sale had been made. 



Since the 20th of August, the agents of at least five 

 diiferent and distant mvUicaulis dealers have visited 

 this place, for the purpose of purchasing the plants 

 which are in and near Petersburg. Most of these 

 agents have come since the first of these lines were 

 written. So rapid and violent has been the rise of 

 the multicaulis speculation, that our monthly publica- 

 tion can give but a faint idea of its progress. For the 

 last month, almost daily reports would have been ne- 

 cessary to show the state of the trade and the extent of 

 the demand. Considering that the northern states are 

 the original seat, and still the principal scene, of this 

 speculation — the great void which still is to fill, 

 throughout both the north and the south, for actual as 

 well as speculative demand — the difficulty with which 

 young multicaulis plants are raised in the north, and the 

 far greater vigor in growing and after-value of those 

 raised in Virginia— it will not be more strange than the 



